
December 09, 2022 · 3 min read
Devblog: Flow is now available for Apple Watch
Hello everyone. It’s been well over half a year since our last devblog. We apologize for not publishing more devblog posts this year as we had planned. Today we’re talking about our latest updates, the release of Flow for Apple Watch, and what’s next.
Progress this year
Earlier this year, we released a major update to the Flow statistics across all platforms, including time units, bar charts, and a day view. Over the past few months, we’ve released several updates, sometimes with minor improvements and bug fixes, and sometimes with new features, like the alternative menu bar icon, the allow list for Flow’s URL blocker on Mac, or support for Apple’s shortcuts app.
Flow for watchOS
We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, but finally Flow is available on the Apple Watch. We decided to make Flow usable independently of the iOS version, which means you can download and use Flow from the App Store on your Apple Watch even if you don’t use Flow on your iPhone.
Currently, the timer on the Apple Watch does not sync with other devices. We’ll integrate this at a later date. Similar to the release of Flow on iOS, with Flow on watchOS we want to get the basics right before moving on to more advanced features.
A look ahead 2023
We want to refine and improve Flow on watchOS based on your feedback. First, we want to add iCloud syncing features to Flow on watchOS to enable cross-device syncing of your stats and completed sessions. Later, we’ll look at Watch Connectivity features and timer syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch.
In addition to improving Flow on watchOS, we also plan to expand our integration and automation options, as well as Flow’s interaction between different devices in general. We’ll also be looking at Live Activities, Dynamic Island, and Lock Screen widgets.
A big technical leap for us will be the transition from a UIKit/AppKit based project to SwiftUI, which we have already prepared and implemented step by step under the hood. This may not be visible to you design-wise, but it’s a big technical step with many hurdles to overcome and thoroughly test. This will allow us to take advantage of the latest operating system features and speed up our development.
Thank you!
As you can see, there’s still a lot to come and a lot we have planned for Flow. We’re doing our best to integrate these and other features as quickly as possible, but can’t guarantee any release dates. We’ll continue to inform you about new updates on Twitter (@flow__app).
Thank you so much for everything. It’s a wonderful journey with you guys and we love developing Flow for and with our community. We’re grateful for all the kind and supportive messages we receive on social media, via reviews or in our support mail.
We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year! 🎄✨
We appreciate all of you very much. Cheers!
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I was really waiting for the flow app on my phone to integrate with the watch – I thought this was the point. That way when I start a break on my phone and walk away from my desk, the app on my watch will automatically tell me when the break is up.
Hi Clare 👋 We appreciate your feedback! Currently, Flow works independently on the Apple Watch. Cross-platform syncing will be implemented at a later stage. This will also include notifications on your Apple Watch.
I think this is the most important feature, so a big +1 from me 🙂
So I use flow as a tracker for my sessions in the calender too so it’s a it’s a little disappointing that you did not implement features that you have already on iOS like the calender entry after a completed flow or that you can not change the number of flows (so you are forced to do 4 in a row but I do 5 oder 6). Since I’m not a coder I have no clue how difficult those implementations are. But I’d hoped that when the WatchOS version is released those functions were already included. So please before you hunt after the syncing changes just add the ability to change the number of flows.
But I also wanted to thank you for your work since we actually don’t know what coding challenges you are facing. The app is great and please go on with the work!
Hello Lukas 🙂 Thank you for your feedback! Similar to the release of Flow on iOS, with Flow on watchOS we want to get the basics right before moving on to more advanced features including Flow’s PRO features.
I really enjoy the Apple Watch app and understand there will be more integrations.
Are there plans to add complications for our watch face?
Hi Jorge! We’re glad to hear that you enjoy Flow on Apple Watch. 😊 Yes, we plan to add Apple Watch complications in the future. Thanks for letting us know you’d like this.
Hi team, great work. Two things from me:
1) Hopefully keep the app simple and not too many irrelevant features in the future. The feature-overwhelm is such a barrier for folks who have time management challenges.
2) Can the Watch app please have an analog version considered in the future? Helps massively for adhd time blindness as the visual of the chunk of time is easier to make sense of.
All the best!
Hi Kristin, thank you so much for your kind comment and feedback!
We agree with you! We’ll always maintain our minimalistic approach, even when we add additional features over time. This is very important to us, and we take the time to make sure our new features don’t interfere with Flow’s simple user experience and design.
I’ve added your suggestion of an analog version for the Watch app to our list of possible new features in the future. 🙂
I want to subscribe to your app.
I have a question.
I tried the app on Apple watch and it didn’t work. I add it to the dial on the phone, but it does not appear on the watch.
Does this problem always exist?
Hi Ralf! 👋 As mentioned in our email, Flow does not yet have Apple Watch complications (small interface elements that users place on the clock face). We plan to implement them in the future.
Please feel free to reply to our email if you have any further questions.